Emergency vehicle drivers who turn on their sirens and warning lights in non-urgent situations will be fined starting this year, police said Tuesday.

The National Police Agency said a revision to the traffic law passed the parliament last year and will take effect in July.

According to the revision, offenders can be fined up to 200,000 won ($168), except for certain situations, such as for a patrol or during training.

The revision is aimed not only at protecting the right of way held by the police, fire crews and ambulance services but also to prohibit them from being abused for personal reasons.

Some celebrities have been using private ambulances with the

siren on when they are late to shows, according to police.      

Still, it will not be easy to crackdown on violators as it is hard to stop an ambulance that might be carrying a patient in a critical situation.

"As it is hard to stop moving emergency vehicles, we will actively use reports (from citizens)," an official said. (Yonhap)